Cambridge Consultants announce new ’spectral sensing’ radio technology platform

Cambridge Consultants has announced that it has developed InCognito™, a novel, low-cost ‘spectral sensing’ cognitive radio technology platform that will allow any radio product to transmit without interference over the so called ‘whitespace’ frequencies recently vacated by the US digital TV switchover

These highly desirable TV band frequencies easily penetrate walls, potentially extending the range of Home Area Networks and enabling a range of novel new applications, such as reliable high-definition video streaming from a single access point to every room in a house. 

Innovative use of ‘whitespace’ radio will also make it possible to increase the accessibility of low-cost high speed wireless Internet services, including those rural communities which are currently poorly served.

The new frequencies, recently authorised in the USA by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), greatly increase the overall wireless bandwidth available to computers, set top boxes, laptops, WiFi hot spots and other radio devices that currently use the unlicensed band around 2.4GHz.  They also have the potential to greatly extend the range of these devices.

Luke D’Arcy, of Cambridge Consultants, explains, “We’ve seen so much game-changing innovation in the unlicensed 2.4GHz band, but I believe the FCC’s decision to open up the ‘whitespace’ radio frequencies for innovation promises even more.  We will quickly see a wave of innovation in wireless products and services around 700MHz, bringing benefits both to consumers and to the innovative businesses that move quickly into the whitespace market.”

But the decision is not without controversy.  The primary incumbent users of these TV band frequencies are concerned about the potential for interference caused by the influx of new users. 

Addressing these concerns, D’Arcy adds: “Based on highly complex cognitive ’spectral sensing’ radio technology which, until now, has only been used in defense and security applications, the InCognito™ platform enables ‘whitespace’ radios to quickly and accurately detect and avoid other broadcasts.”

More information at Cambridge Consultants

Source: Media Network